Santa Clara County Fire Code under Title B incorporates the California Fire Code and IFC §6101 governing propane storage. Residential cylinders aggregating 10 gallons or less are exempt; aggregate quantities above 25 gallons require an SCCFD or CalFire CZU operational permit and IFC §6104 setbacks.
Santa Clara County Code Title B Fire Code adopts the current California Fire Code and IFC Chapter 61 governing liquefied petroleum gas storage. Residential cylinders aggregating 10 gallons (about 42 pounds) or less are exempt from permits and used for barbecues, patio heaters, and emergency generators. Aggregate quantities exceeding 25 gallons trigger an operational permit issued by Santa Clara County Fire Department in its service area or CalFire CZU in State Responsibility Areas, with mandatory IFC §6104 setbacks: 10 feet from buildings and property lines for tanks to 125 gallons, scaling to 25 feet for 500-gallon tanks and 50 feet for 2,000-gallon containers. Tanks must sit on noncombustible bases with vegetation cleared 10 feet around the container.
Operating without a required permit draws fines starting at $500 per violation per day, with the fire authority empowered to red-tag tanks and require immediate removal. Setback violations near hillside structures may compound under separate defensible-space enforcement under PRC §4291.
Palo Alto, CA
Western foothill neighborhoods in Palo Alto sit in the CAL FIRE Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Properties there face defensible space, ember-resistant ...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto enforces California PRC 4291 defensible space in its Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, requiring 100 feet of vegetation management with stricter...
See how Palo Alto's propane storage rules stack up against other locations.
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